Medina mother works to improve school crossing

MEDINA — A mother’s efforts urging the city to improve a school crosswalk have paid off.

Valerie Pavlik, a Medina resident whose fourth-grade son attends Sydney Fenn Elementary School, said she was sick of hearing other parents complain about heavy traffic along Weymouth Road at East Union Street.

A Medina resident wants the city to install a flashing warning lights at the intersection of East Union Street and Weymouth Road. (GAZETTE PHOTO BY KIERA MANION-FISCHER)

“It’s a main thoroughfare for people going to work,” she said.

Pavlik said she wants to see flashing lights added to the school zone sign in front of the driveway leading to the parking lot behind Fenn Elementary School, which is south of the intersection.

The lights would encourage traffic to slow down, she said.

Pavlik first brought up the idea in a letter to the principal of Fenn Elementary School about a year ago.

School officials told her improvement was a good idea, but said funding was not available.

That’s when she turned to the city as well as to state officials.

Medina Mayor Dennis Hanwell said Pavlik’s idea will likely be discussed at the March 11 finance committee meeting. He said he expected City Council to agree to change the sign.

Hanwell said city Engineer Patrick Patton has applied for a grant to pay for the sign improvements at the Weymouth crosswalk, as well as other school crosswalks in the city.

“We’re thankful that Ms. Pavlik and the residents brought this concern to our attention,” he said. “There are a great deal of children that cross that intersection. This improvement will benefit all of them.”

Hanwell said more improvements are coming because a federal mandate eventually will require the city to install a lighted crosswalk that counts down, similar to the one at Public Square, instead of just flashing “walk” and “don’t walk.”

Both Hanwell and Pavlik say they will attend tonight’s Ward 2 neighborhood meeting, where the proposal is expected to be discussed.

The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at Claggett Middle School, 420 E. Union St.